One Day at a Time
by Chibi Tenshi
Summary: My attempt at writing a Yuu Yuu Hakusho/SM crossover. Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama hire the services of a bounty hunter with her own agenda in order to track down their friend, Yuusuke.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Yuu Yuu Hakusho or Sailor Moon. I am merely borrowing them for my own amusement (and yours hopefully). 

Tenshi's Notes: Minna-chan! Hai, another fic… don't worry, all's well with Goddess. *grins* Just as groundwork for Yuu Yuu Hakusho, I basically watched it almost 6 years ago, only to leave at the point where Yuusuke's ancestor has completely taken over and he ran off. That was the last scene I remembered, so I decided to continue. Since I've never seen a lot of YYH/SM crossovers, I made the bold move to write one. Do you know how hard it is to write one when you have nothing to follow?! *smacks head* 

And as a warning, gomen to all those used to Kurama and Hiei pairings. It will NOT be happening here. (For the love of God, don't email/review me and tell me you hate the fact that it's not a yaoi pairing, k? That's what a warning is for.) Read on to find an "original" pairing. *laughs* (Inside joke between my chans and I) 

If I made any mistakes, forgive me since it's been a while. I decided to up Yuusuke's age a little just to make the fic fit a little better. He's probably somewhere around 17-18 instead of 15. What else? I hope there are those who read this… I'm having a lot of fun with this fic. There will be lots of twists and unexpected stuff as usual. 

Special thanks to my chans for everything they've done for me, including being a guinea pig for all my writings, and putting up with me. *laughs* (Silver-chan aka my chibi-self, AHEM. You officially owe me a REALLY REALLY long review.) And thanks to all my wonderful readers and reviewers who've been with me since that first chapter of Unexpected Destiny. *gets mushy* You all are the best!

Tentatively, I'm calling it One Day at a Time (you'll see the reason why much later on). And please, review if you like even one sentence that you see! (or hate) Cos' reviewing makes Tenshi happy! (and e-mails cause Tenshi to make squealy noises) ^-^ 

Ja for now!

Btw, a few Japanese words to explain here:

ken – sword

ningen – human

kitsune – fox (Thanks Eternal-chan! I actually knew it meant fox, but typed wolf for some reason)

ningenkai – human world (Earth)

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One Day at a Time: Chapter 1

"Yuusuke!!! NO!!!!!" Kuwabara yelled out as he watched in horror as his friend took off for parts unknown. Whirling around, he stared at the other two demons who stood there stoically, one with an unmistakable look of concern on his face. "Why did you guys do anything to stop him?" He demanded angrily. This was Urameshi Yuusuke, one time rival, and now good friend. As a group, the foursome had been through so much together before Yuusuke transformed. 

Shrugging, Kurama replied, "You want to stop Yuusuke when he is in his purest demon form thus far? Be my guest. Personally, I'd rather wait for an opportunity, and study his moves and actions first before doing anything."

A snort came from the shorter demon next to him, his deadly red eyes glaring at Kuwabara. "Bakayero," Hiei remarked. "That's the problem with you. You always rush into things. It'll be the death of you one day." He smirked. 

Veins stood out in Kuwabara's temple as he longed to pound the rude demon into the ground. However, several factors stood in his way. For one, Hiei happened to be much more powerful than he was. Secondly, if he was going to start dating Yukina, he **had** to be nice to the mean jerk, whose vile temper was well known through the demon world.

Hiei looked on smugly, watching with a perverse glee as he saw Kuwabara turn an interesting shade of purple. The baka was about to blow up any time soon, and highly liable to get himself killed if he didn't learn to control that temper of his. If it weren't for Yukina, Hiei couldn't care less about what happened to the orange-haired oaf. Ningens were such fools, though he had to admit, it was somewhat admirable the strength of character they had. Admirable. He snorted derisively. That'll be the day.

"Yukina will get mad if you beat the ningen," Kurama observed next to him. 

"Don't I know it…" He muttered.

"We should go track him down now instead of standing around! Hayuku!" Kuwabara hollered.

Hiei's fists clenched in annoyance as a black energy began crackling up and down his arm. 

"Remember… your little sister won't be pleased," Kurama chuckled, before his expression suddenly sobered as the shorter demon glared at him. "Let's go find Yuusuke!" Kurama added hurriedly with a sweatdrop. 

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"I can't believe how we keep missing him!!" Kuwabara bit out, his teeth clenched in frustration. "All we ever get to see is his path of destruction, and the people he's hurt."

"The ningen in him will be very upset to find out what he's done," Kurama spoke softly, observing the once thriving village that now lay in ruins.

"The bakayero! We were supposed to fight so many more battles with each other! I was going to defeat him!"

"Hnnnph! You think just because you have that ken now you can defeat Yuusuke in his current state?" Hiei shot back, unwilling to have the idiot die and have Yukina hurt as a result. 

"How else are we supposed to find him?? Damnit, he moves so quickly!" Kuwabara yelled. 

"There was this thing that I heard the other day. There's a bounty hunter in the ningenkai that we could use," Kurama suggested.

"Bounty hunter?" Hiei repeated in disgust.

"Well we don't seem to be having any luck catching him ourselves," Kurama responded logically. "Plus, I've heard a lot of good things. 100% success rate so far."

"Ningen?" Kuwabara asked curiously.

Nodding, Kurama replied, "Hai."

"What has he caught anyway?" Hiei asked somewhat snappishly. If Kurama didn't know any better, he could've sworn that Hiei was slightly insulted that he would even recommend using a ningen.

"Demons, humans. Whatever you want, it can be found."

"Hnnph," was the only sound that came from Hiei, who was secretly intrigued by a bounty hunter who could have a hundred percent success rate. The skills involved would be tremendous. It would be interesting to meet this ningen. 

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"Young girl, where is the bounty hunter we seek?" Hiei asked coldly, as he stepped into an ordinary-looking office. It was spacious and sunny, not quite what he was expecting. Kuwabara had charged in and accidentally knocked over some chairs and tables. The young girl had shown up, grumbling under her breath about klutzes and oafs, which caused Hiei to snicker. Kurama was content to hang back, a secret smile on his lips. 

Her head snapped up, and her eyes gleamed with fire. "Unavailable at the moment."

"Well, where is he?"

Kurama choked behind him, drawing Hiei's attention as he turned around to stare at the redheaded boy. 

Narrowing her eyes at the incredibly rude demon, who didn't stand that much taller than her, she stood up abruptly with a smirk on her pretty face. "SHE is cleaning up the mess that your clumsy friend just made." 

"Nande kuso?!" Hiei yelled out, as Kurama chuckled. Kuwabara snickered at Hiei's reaction before his own face reflected the indignation he felt as he realised the girl had just called him clumsy. 

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	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the YYH or SM characters.

Tenshi's Notes: Minna-chan, well it took me quite a while here, and I'm fairly surprised at the response I got for this fic. I didn't think that many people knew that much about YYH, but hopefully those that won't will hang on anyway. *grins* I've tried to give a longer chapter to make up for not updating for a while, but in all honesty, I'm **very** caught up in writing my Rurouni Kenshin fic. If anyone's interested in it at all, don't hesitate to contact me. Anyway, essentially, with the exception of Perfect World, my other fics will be put on hold for a wee bit. Bear with me, I'll get back to writing the others soon! Special thanks to Eternal-chan for encouraging me to go on with this fic, and all my other chans else for always being so supportive. To my reviewers, arigatoo!! I cannot thank you enough for caring enough to write something down. That's it from me! Ja! ^-^

Last note: If it helps, for those who don't know YYH, imagine Hiei to be like Veggie. *grins*

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Chapter 1

Shimatta, the morning had been tiresome. It had been several long weeks, having captured one of the most elusive demons. So much time had been spent on tracking and analyzing data, hunting it intensely. She had lived and breathed her work, and the intensity at which she performed left little room for anything else. She had arrived at work that morning, absolutely dead on her feet, having not taken a break in weeks. She had just received yet another urgent message from Koenma. As much as she was physically drained by her job at the moment, there was nothing she loved more than the challenge of capturing something or someone elusive. She had been in the middle of retrieving her morning cup of tea, looking up some files, and in the process of returning Koenma's phone call when she had heard a loud crash. 

She had looked up to find three men in her office. One was extremely tall, orange-haired, and obviously ningen. The other two were demons, and well-known ones at that. Kurama, or Minamino Schuichi (as she had once known him), was a handsome boy with a mane of red-hair heavily tinged with pink and green eyes that saw too much. He carried himself with a sort of grace that almost bordered on femininity. The shortest one, Hiei, was the one that caught her attention the most. He radiated arrogance and surliness. From his stance to the way his deep red eyes narrowed on her, he was the epitome of rudeness and bad-tempered all rolled into one. A white bandana went across his forehead, and his black spikey hair, with a tuft of white right in the front, stood on end. She couldn't explain her fascination with the demon. There was just something about him that she found attractive. 

Cursing herself silently, she reminded herself that she was in a line of business that didn't allow relationships. Not only that, she had more important issues to deal with. She had almost laughed at the imperious demon when he had realised that she was the bounty hunter. She supposed looks could be deceiving. She was tiny, with exquisitely feminine features, and just an overall aura about her of innocence and purity. Reaching behind her back, she closed her eyes for one brief moment, and a business card appeared in her right hand. Bringing it back, she showed it to them. _Tsukino Usagi. Bounty Hunter._

The video conference phone rang behind her unexpectedly. A series of beeps sounded up before an image popped out of nowhere. 

"Usagi-san…"

"Koenma-sama!!" She yelled out, annoyed that the little lord of the Spirit Realm had over-ridden her security features again. 

A young boy wearing a hat bearing the symbol of King followed by "Jr." somehow spoke despite the pacifier that sat in his mouth. 

"Usagi-san, I called you several hours ago!" Impatience was dripping off his tone, and the tension on his young face was somewhat unnerving to most human eyes. But then again, Koenma was no ordinary boy. His youthful appearance belied his age of being well over hundreds of years old, as well as the son of Enma Daiou. "I have a new assignment for you."

"Koenma-sama!" Usagi berated, much to the astonishment of the three men behind her. "How many times do I have to remind you I don't work for you anymore?" 

A chuckle sounded out. "Gomen nasai, Usagi-san. I suppose I forget myself at times. It's not that often that I lose one of my top detectives." 

_Top detective? This ningen grows more intriguing by the moment,_ Hiei thought to himself. Long silvery-blond hair was pulled back by a simple knot, lying loosely, well past her shoulders. She had deep blue eyes, and beautiful skin. He caught himself, startled by the thought. He had never paid much attention to women, believing them to not be worth his time or effort. With the exception of his sister, he generally stayed clear of them. 

"What's the situation?" Usagi asked in a serious tone, her expression undergoing a change, fascinating the fire demon to no end. 

"A demon's running loose in your world unfortunately. We need you to capture…"

"Urameshi Yuusuke. Hai, I already know." She replied softly, a strange note entering her voice. 

"Nani?!" Four voices yelled simultaneously, only to halt just as suddenly. 

"Who else is there?" Koenma demanded imperiously. "I swear I heard that Kuwabara's voice."

"Hai, Koenma-sama." Kuwabara called out sheepishly, his head appearing in the video conferencing screen, along with two other demons. 

Koenma bit his tongue, holding back a series of expletives that he longed to unleash. He shouldn't have been surprised that the threesome would turn up eventually. What he hadn't counted on was the fact that they would even turn to Usagi. And the fire demon? What would make him agree to allow a girl to help them out? Koenma felt a strange shiver up his spine as he watched Usagi's eyes flash with a deep blue fire. 

"I will find him, Koenma-sama. That much I can promise. Send me the usual details, and I will proceed as soon as possible." 

There was something he wasn't seeing, Koenma realised quickly. He was missing the whole picture. Usagi… something had changed about her the minute he had mentioned finding the half demon half human. Her usually sunny nature while dealing with him had evaporated rather quickly, dissolving into a cool, hard determination that shone in her being. Then, all that remained on the screen was the harsh sound of the connection having been severed.

Whirling around to look at the three men, Usagi felt nothing. This was it. This was what had been building up for so long in her life. It was time to find Urameshi Yuusuke. Her obligations had finally caught up. 

"I will find Yuusuke for you, and I'm not even going to charge you a fee." She remarked as she began moving around her office with practice and ease. Pulling a few duffel bags out of the closet, she began methodically placing items and weapons that she would need in order to find him. His path of destruction would be easy to trace, though to get into his mind set, she would need to tap into her own, reaching into areas she had never wanted to use. But she had no choice. Continuing with her packing, they noted that very little of her movements were done without efficiency. She began retrieving a barrage of instruments that boggled the men's eyes. How on earth was this tiny little female going to lift all this stuff up? Kuwabara was the first to regain his tongue. 

"I will come with you," he announced, causing Usagi's eyes to turn to him. 

"This is not open for discussion. I am on an assignment here. What do you think I am doing?" 

"You forget we have participated in many tournaments," Kuwabara growled angrily. 

"You also seem to forget that you almost died many times," she replied coldly. 

"As class B demons, I think we are more than capable of handling ourselves." Kurama interjected softly.

"Perhaps, but I work alone. I have no intention of seeing my rate of success being destroyed by a bunch of tag alongs." 

"You insult us, little girl?" Hiei finally spoke up, menace evident in his tone. 

"Look, I don't mean to. I just don't work well with others. It's as simple as that." 

The screen flashed once again, and Koenma's face glared at them all. "I can't believe you turned the phone off on me." 

"You still haven't sent over my details, Koenma-sama."

"You're going to allow the three of them to accompany you, Usagi-san." 

Her jaw fell in disbelief as anger and rage built up in her. Her plans were about to be ruined. 

"Iie! I work alone, you know that!" She yelled in frustration.

"Not any more you don't. If you don't want your license revoked, you'll do as I say." 

Something in Koenma's eyes flashed a warning, and Usagi seethed. The onlookers could see the battle going on between the lordling and Usagi, before she finally gave in. 

"You owe me for this," she bit out before terminating the connection on a surprised Koenma's face. 

Inhaling a deep breath, she tried to settle her thoughts, remembering how life used to be with her mother. Her gentle, sweet mother who had tried to teach her good things. Sounds of happy laughter and all the wonderful feelings she used to have flooded her mind. She recollected the hugs, and how they made her feel so warm and safe. She remembered the doll she had gotten for her sixth birthday, and how it had been so pretty. A soft smile appeared on her lips, as the anger and rage slowly ebbed away. _I miss you so much Mother…_Turning around to address the three men once again, she said evenly, "Just don't get in my way. I won't wait for you." With that, she disappeared into a room to retrieve more items.

Kurama looked on the scene with much amusement. It was strange to see how the girl he had once known in school could turn out this way. But then again, life hadn't exactly been fair to her. He had known about her identity of course, and had known that Hiei would react extremely strongly (although that in itself was a mild understatement) against a ningen bounty hunter, much less a female one. She was certainly attractive with her long silvery blonde hair and deep blue eyes. She had an air of fragility that reminded him of Yukina, though he knew that opponents had frequently been captured for misjudging her. That was something she did not hesitate to use to her advantage. He was looking forward to seeing her work, having never seen her in action in years. But even more amazing than her skill was Hiei's reaction to her. That was something that bore closer examination. 

Hiei stared at the direction she took off in before turning away his gaze hastily. He could not explain his reactions towards the ningen female, and he wasn't sure he liked what he was experiencing either. There had been a coldness and bite to her tone the moment she heard Yuusuke's name, and he hadn't been quite sure what it had represented. He was fairly certain she didn't mean any harm, but for Koenma to send them out with her, he was sure that the young lord had his suspicions about her. The intensity in her eyes though… there had been something strangely familiar about that look. As if he had seen it somewhere before. 

Suddenly, she emerged from the room, and he almost dropped his jaw. Summoning his iron-will and self-control that took countless of years to develop, he was able to compose his facial expression to look at her with suitable nonchalance. She was wearing a black tank top tucked into black pants with cargo pockets on the side. Her long hair had been pulled back into a bun and her face seemed somehow paler than ever. She opened a drawer at the desk and began removing weapons from it. An odd barrage of knives and guns emerged, along with several items he could not identify. She began carefully inserting and inspecting each weapon before tucking it carefully on her well-toned body. Only the slight tightening of her jaw revealed the tension in her body. Throwing on a black skin-tight jacket, she motioned towards them. "How will you be getting around?" Usagi asked as she began punching a series of buttons on her computer and retrieving a set of printouts. Glancing over at the information quickly, she frowned and muttered to herself. 

"What is it?" Kuwabara demanded, slightly ticked off that they were being forced to depend on this tiny female to find his best friend. It offended his male pride severely and it would be even worse if she did indeed find Yuusuke. 

"It may prove more difficult to track him than I first assumed. His path is erratic, and there is no way of knowing where he will end up next. No matter, we'll have to go to his last place of destruction and search for clues there. Hopefully, he'll have left some behind." 

"And what if he didn't leave any traces behind?" Kurama asked softly.

"I didn't get to where I am by relying everything on chance," she replied with an odd gleam in her eyes. The guys knew that that was all she was going to say on that matter. 

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The drive was long and silent. As it turned out, the last town Yuusuke had destroyed was only two hours' away. She downshifted the gears of the Jeep to make her way up a particularly treacherous slope. Usagi knew full well that the guys weren't happy with what they had found out about her, with the exception of Kurama of course. She had known him when he was Schuichi and a fellow student in class. She remembered how the girls in class used to squeal when the red-haired boy would show up. Quiet, and sweet, he had been the shyest boy in school. On Valentine's Day, she remembered how she finally worked up the nerve to give him a card. He just smiled beautifully at her, and at age 7, he had been her first crush. Those feelings quickly died when other aspects of her life changed unexpectedly. 

She clenched her jaw in memory and tried to clear her mind quickly. It was when her mind became fogged up like this that she could die on the job. She had no intention of dying, not at this age, and not before she finished what she came here to do. She wondered why the memories of her past were emerging as strongly as they were, but then she remembered the mission at hand. She glanced over at the fire youkai beside her and wondered why on Earth he had chosen to sit beside her. He looked humourous actually, and she found her lips threatening to break out in a smile at his sullen look. Truth be told, the frightening demon looked more like a hyperactive child that had been forced to stay still for hours. She forced herself to focus once again on the road, her eyes widening in horror at the carnage that appeared before them. Stepping on the brakes quickly, her keen eyes noted on one particular survivor partially hidden by the bushes. As the rest of the group jolted in the vehicle, she had already jumped out and sprinted towards the prone figure. 

_She's fast…_ Three thoughts echoed simultaneously as they made their way out of the jeep.

Usagi cradled the young boy in her arms, careful not to move him any more than she needed to. He appeared to be around 8 years old, doe-brown eyes shimmering with pain. Her heart clenched at the all-too-familiar sight, and she could feel the tears welling in the backs of her eyes. Numerous cuts covered his poor battered body, and a particularly nasty gash on his forehead caught her eye. Pressing as hard as she could, the blood still oozed from her fingers as the young boy winced in pain. 

"Have… have you seen my sister?" He croaked out.

"I'm afraid not," Usagi whispered softly. She registered the approach of her three companions in the back of her mind, though the welfare of the boy was of utmost concern.

"The demon… he came through… and he killed everyone," the young boy sobbed, unable to help himself. "Mom, Dad… they were trying to protect Lily and I… but he didn't care. He just shot this energy from his hands and killed them right in front of us." 

"Did he say where he was going?" As sad as the boy's situation may have been, Kuwabara was still concerned with one thing only. He had to find his best friend.

"No… do… do you guys see that light? Lily? Is that you?" The young boy whispered, a glazed look appearing in his eyes. A crooked smile appeared on his face, the look almost obscene and clashing with the evidence of Yuusuke's rampage. 

She almost let her tears go as she felt his body slump against her. Not before she heard him whisper, "I'm coming, Mom, Dad, Lily. Wait for me. I'm coming." 

It took away her soul each time she had to go through something like this. Vivid reminders flashed through her head, as memories of her own past swept through her. The tears wouldn't fall. She refused to let it happen. Biting her lip, it took her but moments to compose herself as she suddenly looked up at the three men. A look of concern had appeared on Kurama's face, and the orange-haired baka actually looked sympathetic. The short fire demon said nothing, merely surveying the scene with no emotion. She hardened her heart, like she had countless of times before that. She would not allow it to get to her. She could not afford to. She had more important things to tend to. 

Hiei didn't mistake the look that came over her. He knew that she was about to cry before he saw her pulling out her defensive walls in order to continue what she was doing. Odd. He had been like this once, when he had been younger. But harsh lessons in life had taught him that wearing his heart on his sleeve only caused you more pain, and gave enemies insight to your weaknesses. He wondered how she was able to cope and live with the pain. Strangely enough, he found it difficult to fathom the same emotionless nature that he lived by existing in her. 

Pulling out a series of instruments, she began carefully scanning for energy signatures. Each demon had its own unique one, and it was identified them much like each human's DNA sequence. And she was extremely familiar with Yuusuke's. As the data readings sent out a series of spikes and valleys, she confirmed the readings. He had been here. She analyzed samples and had even managed to find a drop of blood that Yuusuke had left behind. Carefully storing the sample in her blood work kit, she made a mental reminder to have it examined at the closest clinic they could find. Inspecting a map she had brought along, she marked the town's location and stared at it thoughtfully. _Erratic!_ Her mind screamed out immediately, although she had long learned to hold back her first impressions. Nothing was as it seemed. A town several hundreds of miles outside of Tokyo, then headed north for no apparent reason before veering sharply to the right. 

"Looking for clues?" Kurama inquired from behind her right shoulder.

"Hai. It makes no sense so far. His path is unpredictable, and normally demons have a purpose when they take off like that. He could just want to destroy for the sake of doing so, but that's not him."

"And how would you know?" Hiei asked with deadly alertness. 

Cursing herself silently, Usagi lied glibly. "Based on the character descriptions and what I know of him from his work as a tantei, he's not someone who does something without purpose. Even with the demon influence strong in him, he's after something." _And he also knows I'm not far behind…_

Hiei seemed satisfied with the answer for now, though he knew that there was more to it than she was letting on. This ningen definitely bore watching. And as such, this was probably the reason why Koenma ordered them to follow her. 

"Look, it's getting late here. We should probably make camp for now. We'll resume the search tomorrow morning." 

Moving towards the back of the jeep, she quickly retrieved some materials before tossing them in Kuwabara's arms. 

"You do know how to set up a tent do you?" 

"Of course!" Kuwabara yelled indignantly as he tried to juggle the materials. 

"And I presume you two will be fine?" She motioned towards the two demons.

"Hai, Usagi-chan." Kurama replied, and her eyes widened suddenly at the name. It had been years since he called her that. Why was Kurama doing this? 

"I'll be back in the morning," She announced, slinging a huge bag across her back. 

"Where do you think you're going?" Hiei demanded. 

"None of your business."

Ignoring him, she disappeared into the night. Hiei's eyes narrowed. _Like hell I'm just going to let her leave us alone like this while she does God knows what._


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Yuu Yuu Hakusho or Sailor Moon characters, although this idea is entirely mine

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Yuu Yuu Hakusho or Sailor Moon characters. Steal my idea however and I'll boil you in oil! (Or sock Aya-kun after you)

Tenshi's Notes: Well, well minna-chan, I wasn't going to update for a bit, demo I wrote a bit more today on this fic. *blinks in surprise as all her slew of chans and imoutos stare at her in open-mouthed shock* I've been **REALLY** engrossed with my RK pet project as anyone who knows me will tell you, and I still am. I'm also working on a SM/WK crossover as we speak, and between all the fics I have and Perfect World, I'm slowly going insane. *giggles* Anyway, expect a new chapter of Legacy to appear soon! 

After this, I'm not sure how long I will take with updates, demo I've hit a lot of roadblocks since I have that many fics to keep track of. Shikashi, I will be posting the first chapter to my latest fic next week some time (I think). 

One quick question to answer: Mae, Hiei is the fire demon in YYH, the one with the Jagan (third eye). He's short, bad tempered, demo he's really kawaii (Right Angel-chan?). *giggles*

Special thanks to all my chans, my imoutos, my lone musume, and my chibi-self. Angel-chan especially for trying to keep me going with this fic as well as all my wonderful reviewers. 

Before I forget, I'd like to announce my latest adoption, BunnyS (aka B-chan), as my imouto. *giggles* My family's growing, ne? 

Anyway, I'll shut up now, minna. :P 

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Chapter 3

Wandering deep into the heart of the forest stealthily, she made her way through with no fear. Long accustomed to the night, she found herself on the other side of the forest overlooking a steep cliff. Staring up into the dark sky, Usagi breathed a deep sigh before dropping her heavy bag. She hadn't wanted to do this but she had no choice. To find Yuusuke, she needed to delve into his mind and understand him. And that required tapping into a part of herself that she had longed to forget but never could. It clung to the back of her mind, and try as she may, it always remained. Haunting her, nipping at her heels, and most of all, never letting go. Sitting down cross-legged, she attempted to relax but it was difficult when she knew what was going to happen next. One by one, her defenses fell, as her body became more lax. She allowed her mind to become free, and the presence appeared, tickling the back of her consciousness. _I knew you'd come back…_ Her eyes flew open suddenly as she sensed someone else nearby. Her eyes were wild and her movements were jerky as she leapt to her feet and whirled around to stare into the deep red eyes of Hiei. 

"What in bloody hell do you think you're doing?" She yelled at Hiei, who appeared extremely taken aback by the strangeness in her. Something was not quite right about this whole scene. There was a crazed look in her eyes that he had never seen before. 

"What's wrong with you?" He demanded, as she just stared at him with those wild eyes of hers. Suddenly, her body froze, and he could almost see the change take over. She blinked once and her eyes cleared once again. Her breathing was changed, slightly uneven, as if whatever she had just experienced was strangely unconnected to her being. She began trembling, and as she looked up, he saw the fear written deep within her eyes. He felt an unaccustomed sensation located near the region of what the humans would call a heart, something that he only felt with his sister. This ningen had managed to summon up the protective instincts that he normally reserved for Yukina. Unsure of what to do next, he slowly made his way over to her. 

"Are you okay?" Hiei asked gruffly. She just looked at him with her deep blue eyes, affecting him in ways he did not like. Remembering something that Yuusuke did to Kuwabara once, he smacked her on the back, causing her to stumble. 

"What did you do that for?" The look was gone from her eyes, only to be replaced by indignation and just a bit of fury. 

"I saw Yuusuke do that to Kuwabara once," Hiei said, before mumbling something about "not hitting so hard". 

Usagi's eyes widened in sudden understanding. The fire demon had no idea how to comfort someone, so he had remembered something Yuusuke had done for Kuwabara. And guys being guys, they had done the usual slap on the back as a form of consolation. The expression on her face softened as she took note of the strange look on his face. His back was turned to her, and she felt she had to do something to thank him for his kindness. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she whispered softly, "Thank you, Hiei-kun."

Coming from her, those words somehow made his day, before he heard her intake of breath.

"And what were you doing spying on me anyway?" Her voice changed as she remembered that he wasn't supposed to be here.

Spinning around, he snapped back. "You were sneaking off into the night! What was I supposed to think?" 

"It's **MY** mission! I can do whatever I please!"

"Except when it concerns Yuusuke, or may harm anyone else." 

"Just stay out of my way!" Usagi yelled, unbearably annoyed with the fire demon who was currently messing with her state of mind.

"As long as you stay out of ours!" Hiei shouted back, not really caring that he didn't make sense. Then again, he didn't really enjoy the fact that it took a mere female make him happy for one brief moment. She stomped off towards the direction of the camp, he noted with satisfaction. Thieving had been the only thing he had known all of his life. He had been betrayed by his mother, a Koorime (Ice Maiden), and the rest of his people. Born a fire demon, he had been a freak, an outcast, one who was believed to be a disgrace since he did not belong. The young demon had wandered endlessly across a lonely world, not knowing what he had done wrong. His only sin had been his birth, for he had been born with different powers and gifts. His people did not take too kindly to it and as such had thrown him off the edge of the floating land of the Koorime, unleashing the harsh, unforgiving world of the Makai on him. He had eventually met up with a group of thieves, who became the only family that he ever knew. And even still, life was lonely. Treachery and power were the names of the game. Nothing else mattered. And even amongst his clan, death was a frequent visitor as countless members lost their lives trying to retrieve the most elusive of jewels and prizes. In the back of his mind, he wondered if all the items he kept trying to steal were not a way to compensate for the lack of love he had as a child. Scoffing at himself for hanging around ningens too often and picking up their weak tendencies, he made his way back to camp as well. 

Usagi stared into the flames, mesmerized by their graceful movements as they leapt from one wooden playground to the next. The crackling over the campfire seemed to be her only companion, offering her silent support as she became lost in her thoughts. Frankly speaking, she was disgusted with herself. The very moment she had allowed her defenses to crumble, she had fallen prey to that which lived within her. She was helpless, overwhelmed by the strength it possessed, and how susceptible she was to its seductive powers. If Hiei-kun hadn't had come in time to distract her, would she have been able to return to her normal self? Would she have been able to shed the demons of her past? Or would it consume her once again? The fires blazed deep within her soul and she struggled to contain them, forcing them to retreat. _My power is my mind. I can control what happens. You will not get me again. I will find Yuusuke and we will find a way to stop this._

********************

__

Foolish child. You think you will escape me so easily? I will own you.

********************

Wide-eyed and strangely refreshed after a dip in the freezing stream, she returned with a slight swagger in her step. Her silvery-blonde hair lay down her back as she waited for it to dry. She stared at the campsite and almost giggled. Kuwabara lay sprawled on the campgrounds and he was twisted in a weird angle that almost seemed painful. If it weren't for the drool trickling from the corner of his mouth, she would've believed he was dead. Kurama was sitting with his back to a tree, arms crossed, and dozing lightly. She knew that he recognized her presence and as such, it wouldn't alarm or awaken him. The air was crisp, cool, and had a bite to it. She breathed and watched in fascination as her breath escaped in a swirl of white mist before mingling with the rest of the air. She felt eyes upon her and she turned around to see the fire demon gazing at her almost thoughtfully, an indiscernible look in his eyes. When he blinked, the look had just as quickly disappeared. She was about to say something when footsteps sounded. Whirling around with surprising speed and accuracy, she was poised to attack when Hiei suddenly appeared by her side. 

"Matte. It's all right. She's a friend." 

Usagi's eyes darkened in jealousy before sheathing her knife back into its resting place. Muttering something under her breath, she was about to move away when she caught sight of the prettiest and most delicate of all creatures. She was tiny, even smaller in stature than Usagi was. Her blue-green hair was half pulled back, and her deep red eyes shone with a sweetness that belied the colour. Wearing a light blue kimono, she took delicate steps that made Usagi almost hate her instantly. This girl was everything she wished she could be, and everything she was not. 

"Hiei-kun!" She called out lightly, and even her voice sounded melodic and feminine. Usagi did not miss the look of fondness that crossed the fire demon's face. 

"Yukina-san," Hiei addressed her with none of his usual biting scorn. 

A smile brightened her lovely features as she bowed. _Odd_, Usagi thought to herself. _Did the air just seem a bit chillier all of a sudden?_ She tightened her black jacket around herself, and though she didn't know it, her actions had caught Hiei's attention. 

"Konnichi wa. I am Yukina," she said, bowing politely at Usagi, causing the blonde to clench her jaw slightly at the picture of femininity and grace that Yukina appeared to be. 

"Tsukino Usagi," she replied curtly "How did you find us?"

"I had heard that Yuusuke-san had disappeared, and this was his last known location. I knew that his friends would try to find him. I had been hoping I would be of some help."

The sweetness of her disposition made Usagi feel like such a monster. How could she hate such a caring person? Naturally, men (or demons) would be attracted to such beauty and personality, even surly, ill-tempered ones. She couldn't fault them really, she thought reasonably as she gnashed her teeth just a little bit. 

Not too far away, Kuwabara stirred in his sleep and swore he heard the melodic voice of his wonderful Yukina. Getting to his feet immediately, he could not help the smile that cracked his face or how shrill his voice was about to become. 

"Yukina-san!" 

Usagi cringed as she caught Kurama's attention. Mouthing "Is he always like this?", Kurama nodded with a wry grin in response as she struggled to contain her giggles. 

"Kuwabara-kun," Yukina smiled prettily at him, causing the tall orange-haired man to blush. 

Usagi thought that they were adorable. Despite the height differences, there was a sense of compatibility and well, Kuwabara was obviously crazy about Yukina. Though the petite girl was not as openly affectionate, there was a twinkle in her eyes that hadn't been present earlier. And Hiei… he looked meaner than ever. He didn't like the pairing too much, that much was evident. He was holding himself back, and Kurama's eyes were dancing with a secret mirth. Usagi frowned slightly, not particularly liking her reactions to the whole situation. Moving quickly, she managed to clear out the camp site before turning back to the group. 

"I have a hunch that Yuusuke might head north." 

"Hunch? You're going to drag us god knows where on some hunch?" Kuwabara yelled out, only to fall silent as Yukina gave him a disapproving glare. 

"I think Usagi-san knows what she's doing," she observed softly. "I don't think she got to where she was today on wild goose chases." 

Kurama smiled in approval, as did Usagi.

"Arigatoo for the compliment and your faith," Usagi thanked sincerely. "We don't have much time to spare. Let's get going." 

********************

It had been through sheer will power and strength that he had managed not to blush in front of her. _Thank God for those years of training_, Hiei thought to himself. He had woken up from his light slumber, and had been shocked to find Usagi gone from the camp site again. Brushing aside the strange feelings of concern that had appeared, he had made his way quickly before spying her not too far from the stream. His mouth had fallen open in amazement as Usagi, with her back turned to him, had begun removing her tank top. Her creamy golden skin had held his eyes captive as he had found himself unaccountably drawn to her. Stretching, she had then reached behind to release her hair from the confines of the bun, allowing her silvery-blonde tresses to fall back. _God, her hair was long…_ Moving her fingers towards the belt, she had been about to take that off as well, before Hiei blushed severely and moved away quickly. Her head had whirled around suddenly, sensing a presence though all that greeted her were trees. Breathing a sigh of relief, Hiei had returned back to camp, and wondered why the hell his heart was thundering in his chest. 

Blinking, he managed to snap back to reality, cursing himself silently for not being able to tear his gaze away from the female who now drove beside him. She held the steering wheel practiced ease and confidence. She seemed so fearless, a strange contrast with most of the human females he knew. Usagi… the name did not appear to fit her at the moment. She was cold, though at times, he could've sworn he saw a human soul peeking through. On the job, however, she was 100 percent professional, too much like himself. Slamming on the brakes suddenly once again, she cursed under her breath before jumping out. He jerked forward a bit before following suit. Damn, she had a speed that almost rivaled his. She stopped abruptly behind a giant tree, and she didn't appear surprised to find him behind her. Motioning slightly to a figure to their left, he immediately understood what she meant. Crouching down low to avoid detection, they both sprang on the unsuspecting creature with amazing speed and accuracy. A feminine yell sounded out, echoing through the forest. 

"Nani?!" Hiei exclaimed, staring at a brunette with deep green eyes who was now glaring at them with annoyance. 

A sound of frustration came from Usagi as she rolled her eyes at the brunette. Offering the other girl a hand up, she managed to pull the much taller girl as Hiei watched in fascination at the muscles in her arms that strained under the other girl's weight. "Makoto-san, you must stop this! Stop following me! You are just a beginner. You'll get yourself killed if you keep this up!" She berated angrily, furious at the newest addition to the bounty hunter association. 

Usagi had read up about Kino Makoto: A talented martial artist, she had been drawn to the demon world where she had lost a boyfriend who had been battling in the competitions. Since he had been delivered a deadly blow by the hands of an underhanded demon, Makoto had spent considerable time tracking it down before killing it. What she had found out in the process was that she loved the investigative aspects of what she had done. Unfortunately, Makoto was new to the business and knew little about what was going on, and what could or could not be done. Though Usagi herself had free reign over what she could do, Makoto as a junior bounty hunter could not start off on major kills like that. There were unspoken rules of conduct and code that she had accidentally violated. The council had then assigned Usagi to be Makoto's mentor or parole officer, depending on whose point of view you were looking from. 

Makoto had been relentless in her pursuit to reach further levels within the association, and with her enthusiasm being as high as it was, ended up aggravating Usagi even more. On the last assignment, Usagi had managed to lose Makoto somewhere in the forests of South America before veering off into the demon world. As annoying as Makoto could be at times, Usagi had become fond of her, respecting how hard Makoto was working in order to succeed at the world, and as such, had no wish to see Makoto dead at such a young age. This time, however, Usagi hadn't been as lucky as she stared at the other girl in exasperation. 

"How the heck did you know where I was going anyway?" Usagi asked with grudging respect for the girl. Then her eyes widened in realisation. "You sneak! You put a tracker somewhere didn't you?" She remembered how her right boot had felt just slightly off, and checked the bottom of it. Sure enough, there it was, a tiny black object stuck to the heel. She frowned and removed it quickly, before crushing it. 

"Hey!! That thing cost me a fortune!" Makoto yelled out.

"A, you should not have been following me in the first place. B, you know full well that if I ever found any bug you planted on me, I would destroy it. And what the hell were you doing anyway? Don't you know that this demon is dangerous and vicious? His human self has NO control whatsoever to the demon soul that is now existing in him. It's taken over, do you understand that? It possesses no remorse and acts without warning. It has no accountability, no reasoning, and just attacks at will. It has already destroyed a few towns and families on its path, so again I ask you, what are you doing here?"

A glint of determination entered Makoto's deep green eyes as she met Usagi's gaze unflinchingly. "I've seen what demons do, remember?" she responded quietly.

Usagi felt her heart softening though she hardened it immediately. Feelings and emotions got you killed in this line of work. There was no room for mistakes and errors. A split second decision made with feelings could terminate your existence. Clenching her jaw, she continued as if she hadn't heard the grief and pain that still lingered in Makoto's voice. 

"You had encountered a lowly demon, not even registering in any of the classes. With Yuusuke's current state, I'd put him at a very high B if not an A itself. You've never fought any demons in the other classes, much less fighting one of the most powerful ones right off the bat."

Her eyes flashing green fire, Makoto retorted, "How can I? You and your council are hell bent for punishing me for an honest mistake I made! I didn't know! I just wanted revenge! That demon took away the man I loved! Do you know what that's like? Do you?" 

Her voice had risen drastically, ending off in a shriek, the damning words being thrown in Usagi's face. She flinched almost imperceptibly though Hiei and Kurama caught it. A strange expression crossed her face before she underwent a change yet again. Masks and mirrors. This girl had learned the art of disguising her pain and hiding them in a place where she would never have to see it again, Hiei determined. She wielded her armor of ice to ward off any intruders, thus allowing her survival and her level of success at her current job. She would never permit any one to see her pain, her grief and what ever burden she carried. That he could guarantee. 

"Emotions interfere with decisions, and when it boils down to a split second decision, you can't afford to make such a fatal error. In that breath of a second, your mistake could mean the end of your career. You hold such promise, Makoto-san. I'd hate to see your career ending so quickly."

Green eyes looked into deep blues, satisfied with the answers that they found in them. "I will train you myself if I make it back alive. I'll drop you off at the next town, all right?"

"Hai, Usagi-san. It would be an honour."

Satisfied, she remembered Hiei's presence as the demon just looked at them with an expression that resembled curiosity. Introducing the two as quickly as possible, a thought suddenly struck her as she gazed at her already packed jeep. Glancing back and forth between the height differences of Hiei and Makoto, she couldn't help herself.

"Don't even think about it," Hiei warned.

The tiny grin that crept upon her deep pink lips was almost worth the indignity of him sitting on Makoto's lap all the way to the next town. Then again, maybe not. 

********************

Blurb: Btw, I **KNOW** that Hiei is OOC in this fic, demo… isn't he that much cuter this way? *pokes Angel-chan* (Tenshi runs off squealing, Hiei's a peeping Tom!!) 


	4. Chapter 4

One Day at a Time - Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the SM/YYH characters. 

Tenshi's Notes: All right, I said I wasn't going to update this fic for a long time, but I'm shocked to see reviews still trickling in for it. I'll update this **IF** and only if I get enough reviews. By sufficient, I mean more than 10 reviews. I've been pretty disappointed with what has happened with "Again" and as of right now, I've lost interest in most of my fics. Given sufficient encouragement, I can be coaxed into posting regularly again. 

Dedications: To Angel-chan, for always being there for me, my number one supporter and a wonderful friend! To Au-chan for always reading everything and encouraging me no matter what. To Usa-chan, kawaii-imouto that she is for always being so great to me. To all my imoutos who have gone missing in action, my chibi-self... well thanks! And always to my reviewers... arigatoo ^_^ 

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Chapter 4

The smile dropped off her face immediately as she found herself recognizing that familiar thudding deep in her blood. Freezing momentarily, she fought to regain her nerves and her wits that had scattered all over. As quick as the eye could blink, she was gone from where she was, and though temporarily caught unaware, Hiei was but mere seconds behind. Once again, Makoto cursed soundly at her slow reactions as she was left alone.

It threatened to overwhelm her once again, as she stared into the wild brown eyes of Urameshi Yuusuke. His long hair sprang from his scalp, adding to his almost crazed look. His body was wiry, filled with lean muscles, and his demon soul possessed power that could destroy her instantly. One of his ancestors had been one of the most powerful demons to ever roam the Makai, and at one point, managed to control one third of it. His eyes flashed over her, and Usagi could not move for once in her life. Something was threatening to take over her human self again as the blood pounded deep within her. Nestled within her body, a voice boomed from within, sounding only within her head. _Surrender... you will never defeat him like this._ Exercising the mental abilities that she had spent countless of years honing to perfection, she managed to tune out the voice, and push it back once again. Clasping her hands above her hand, she concentrated, willing the natural powers that flowed in her body to come to life. As she separated them to bring them to her sides, twin energy balls formed on her palms. Her eyes narrowing at Yuusuke, she gave a yell before firing it at him. She had known it would be a losing battle. She would never defeat him in her ningen state. 

As he landed not too far away from the battling twosome, Hiei noted she had the highest level of skills he had ever seen in a ningen. But even still, Yuusuke was throwing merciless shot after shot upon her fragile body, delivering each blow with deadly intent. Frightened beyond belief, the black energy began crackling up his arm, and he felt the flames of the dark fire singe his flesh and the familiar tug of pain. That he could ignore. Usagi was losing the battle, and despite her best efforts, she would die if he didn't interfere soon enough. The two froze suddenly as if sensing the rise in energy in the air. Whirling around to look at him, the crazed look in her deep blue eyes almost unnerved him. 

"Iie!! Don't do it!" she yelled out, as he caught his first glimpse of the injuries she had sustained. An obscene trail of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, trailing past the series of bruises that almost looked like splotches on her face. She had received a black eye from Yuusuke, and he felt an unfamiliar explosion of rage bursting within him as the energy flowing up within his arm crackled even further. Yuusuke leapt from where Usagi was and made his way over to the fire demon and in a series of swift movements, managed to land in a punch, throwing Hiei's concentration off. 

Stunned, Hiei fell to the ground before he could unleash the black dragon and could only watch in horror as Usagi, following Yuusuke's movements, met up with a vicious blow in her gut and with his other arm, Yuusuke threw a fist in her face. She fell hard on the ground, still breathing, but badly injured. Yuusuke merely stood over Usagi, not delivering the deadly hit that would end her life. Instead a smirk came over his face as he took in the severely wounded blonde. "I will fight you once again when you allow yourself to become stronger than you are." With that cryptic remark, Yuusuke disappeared. 

Hiei, ignoring the pain in his stomach, made his way to a battered Usagi, bleeding from various cuts, and god knows what internal injuries. She lay there stunned, a look of horror on her face. His heart lurched at the sight, and he couldn't even imagine the depths of pain she had to be feeling from her physical condition. Her eyes suddenly flew to his as he gently lifted her up.

"We need to get you some help," Hiei muttered gruffly. "One of your ningen doctors should be able to take care of this."

"Don't let them give me drugs that will put me to sleep, you understand??? Don't!" Her voice had risen to near hysteria and though he did not understand, he nodded. "Promise me, Hiei... promise me." She felt so weak, her body bruised beyond recognition as he made his way back to the Jeep. "I promise."

He had thought she would've fallen unconscious a while ago, but she proved him wrong. She remained awake every single painstaking moment to the hospital for almost three hours. 

Makoto ended up driving the Jeep with the same ruthless efficiency that Usagi had driven with. Each bump that they hit brought a whimper of pain from her, and caused the expression of the man holding her to become even darker. She did not look good, and frankly, Makoto was having serious doubts as to whether or not Usagi was going to make it. Her face was ashen, pinched with agony, as she held back the cries she wanted to scream out though it wasn't so much the pain that affected her. Rather, it was the fact that Yuusuke had managed to beat her. Unused to losing, Usagi cursed herself, and viewed the injuries to her body as her just reward. She felt her eyes drift shut, but she managed to keep them open. Hiei tightened his jaw and stared at her poor broken body. 

"Hiei, don't let me sleep okay? Please?" she pleaded as she placed her even tinier hand into his. It was starting already... she could feel it infiltrating her weakening defenses. 

Startled, his eyes widened momentarily at the feel of her hand in his. Ignoring the sensations that spread through him, he concentrated on the fragile blonde in his arms. This was the second time she had mentioned not letting her sleep. What did she mean by it? Her eyelids were fluttering, and he knew that her body craved the rest that would allow it to heal. With super human strength, she forced them open once again. 

"Please?" Her voice called out, as she stared at him with those cursed eyes of hers, eyes that could tear away at his own defenses and make him feel things he didn't want to feel. His own voice had gotten lost somewhere in his throat, so he settled for a nod. The tension in her body faded as her body relaxed with his agreement. Each time she had tried to close her eyes, Hiei had shaken her awake, yelled at her, and did everything in his power to stop her from doing so. She was growing weaker by the moment, and the damned drive just seemed like it would never end. He was feeling so frustrated and helpless, and his temper grew blacker by the minute. When they had finally arrived, Hiei just jumped out and ran right into the emergency room, ignoring the protests of the staff present. Making his way, he stopped right in front of a doctor, and glared at her. "You. Make her better," he ordered imperiously. The young woman took in the severely wounded girl in the short man's arms and frowned. 

"Hurry... this way. We don't have much time to lose," she spoke softly as they made their way to an operating room. 

Hiei put her down gently on the operating table and her eyes widened. 

"Remember your promise... don't let them..." she uttered weakly. A few nurses came in and tried to get him out of the room. She made a sound of protest and clung on to his hand. "Stay with me, please." 

Again, there was that word, that expression on her face, the tone in her voice. Powerless to resist, he nodded once again, never standing very far. The female doctor came in and looked a bit taken aback by the short man who was still in the operating room. The nurses merely shrugged, as if to say, we tried but we're not messing with him. 

"You may only give her pills to ease her pain. If you give her medicine that will make her sleep, I will make sure that each and everyone of you dies slowly, and extremely painfully." And the deadly gleam in his eyes reassured his intent as the staff felt a deep chill go down their spines. 

"We'll do our best to save her," the doctor spoke before moving ahead. 

"I hope Usagi-san will be okay," Yukina said softly. 

"She will pull through. She's strong," Kurama added, watching the tall brunette clench her jaw in frustration. 

"It's been hours! And why could Hiei go with her when I couldn't?"

"Apparently, his presence was requested." Kurama replied. "Makoto-san, don't worry..." 

The look she gave him said it all. She blamed herself. Guilt and pain shone from her deep green eyes, displaying the depths of her despair. _If only I had reacted faster...I could've saved her._

Kurama frowned slightly at the sight before shaking his head. "Iie, you could not have saved her. Yuusuke is extremely powerful, and in his current form, his powers are devastating. Usagi was lucky that she didn't die, because Yuusuke could have ended her life right there and then. I think there exists some connection between the two that we cannot see." _And Hiei... he must be feeling even worse than she is. He was actually there when Usagi got hurt. The guilt he must be feeling... I cannot imagine what you're going through my friend._

********************

Hiei felt as if they were tearing apart his insides, the guilt pounding away at him like there was no tomorrow. As they operated on Usagi, she merely looked at him with deadened eyes, like she had lost a part of herself. He had lost track of time and the doctor was suddenly by his side. 

"We just need to take her away for a few moments, to get her changed and set up. I need to talk to you in the meantime, all right?" 

"All right," he nodded though his eyes followed the slight figure that still stared at him as she was wheeled out of the room. Turning to the blue haired woman who stood in front of him, Hiei knew that she was the reason that Usagi was still alive. "Thank you, Doctor..." 

"Mizuno. Ami Mizuno." 

"Again, thank you Dr. Mizuno," he muttered gruffly, causing her to smile a little. For all his prickly nature, he obviously cared a lot about the young woman who she had just operated on. Something was nipping away at the back of her memory as she thought of the young woman. Silvery blonde hair and deep blue eyes... her patient had looked familiar, Ami thought to herself. But there was no time for stuff like this. She had to break the news to the man in front of her.

"Mr..."

"Hiei."

"Your friend will make a full recovery, no doubt about that. In fact, some of her wounds were already in the process of healing when we operated on her. Some of the destruction caused in her internal organs would have killed a lesser person." 

The relief that shone on his face caused Ami to smile once again. "But I have other news," she added, which promptly caused a frown to reappear on his face. "It's neither good nor bad... it's just something I need to ask and tell you. Was she on any drugs?" she asked point-blank. 

"Nani?!" he yelled out in confusion. Drugs? What drugs?

"We found unusually high traces of certain neurotransmitters and stimulants in her blood stream." 

"I don't understand what you are saying," he said, furrowing his brow. 

"What I mean is... she's been staying awake... for a long time now. She's been taking drugs of some sort to stop herself from falling asleep. I know what type of drug it is, and thankfully there are no side effects or addictions to it. From what I can see, it's purely on a voluntary basis." 

Hiei appeared taken aback, staring at the woman blankly. Usagi was taking drugs? Nani? Remembering something, he asked, "You said there were some things you needed to tell me. What else is there?" 

"I'm not sure if this will matter to you, but her blood is unusual."

"How so?"

"There are non-human DNA sequences in it." 

If he thought he had been shocked before, this time, he was stunned. His brain felt so overwhelmed as he struggled to put all the information that he had received together. Usagi was taking drugs to stay awake. She had had that wild look in her eyes when she had dozed off for a moment. There was something strange going on between Yuusuke and Usagi. Her blood wasn't quite human. His eyes widened suddenly. _It couldn't be..._

"I was wondering if you could do me a favour, Dr. Mizuno..." 

********************

"What happened here??" A furious voice yelled out as he stomped down the hospital hall. A young man, with brown hair and eyes and the word "Jr" on his forehead, not to mention a pacifier, marched over to the group. Dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt, dark blue top over it, camel pants and a red throw over his shoulders, he radiated anger and something else altogether.

"Koenma-sama?" Kuwabara called out in confusion, scratching his head. The young lord was usually so busy with his work that he rarely left his desk, and had a tendency to prefer his younger form. But in the ningenkai, he usually appeared in his teenage form. Most people were just a bit stunned by a three year-old kid with a pacifier speaking so eloquently. 

"What just happened to Usagi????" he demanded the group imperiously. "I thought you were supposed to watch over her." Koenma caught sight of Makoto and frowned. "What are you doing here?" Without waiting for any real answers, he noted something odd about the group. "And where's Hiei?!" 

"Yuusuke got to her," Kurama replied quietly. 

"I know that... but how??" 

"From what little Hiei told me, Yuusuke was just too powerful for her. And as for Hiei, he's with her right now." 

Frowning slightly, Koenma appeared confused. "What's Hiei doing with her?"

"I don't know," Kurama replied. "But apparently Usagi requested Hiei's presence with her." 

"She nearly died, Koenma-sama..." Yukina spoke softly, tears in her eyes for her friend. 

"Hai I know that. It's only recently that I figured out so many things that I hadn't been able to see before." 

"What do you mean?" Kurama asked curiously. 

"Usagi's died once before, while trying to apprehend the last demon." Ignoring the gasps that went up in the group, he continued. "She somehow managed to avoid going through the normal procedures and went back into the ningenkai as if nothing happened. I just found her paperwork yesterday," he said with a sheepish look, and mumbled "under the table" before resuming. "And as it turns out, Usagi had been an orphan so we hadn't able to put two and two together until recently..."

Silence descended upon the room as Koenma continued speaking, draping the atmosphere with an eerie quality, as they all just stared at each other in horror and shock. 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer:  It has come to my attention that I do not own Usagi or any of the other YYH characters! What a shocker! O.O

Author Notes: Hey everyone! I'll attempt to keep this as short and simple as possible.  Fact of the matter is, if it wasn't for the occasional review alerts coming in, I would've long forgotten about this story.  I'm no longer actively writing in the SM crossover fandom, so it comes as a huge surprise to me that people are even reading it! The biggest problem for me is beyond the fact that my interest in this fic has just about disappeared, I'm also unsure how to end this fic.  Those of you familiar with my work will know that battle scenes aren't my strongest points.  

Anywho, point being:  Here are a few pages to tide you over.  I'm not sure when the next update will be either.  I haven't really bothered to edit it too much from when I wrote it a year ago, so here it is in all its unedited glory! (Dear god, was my writing style that bad back then? -.-) Enjoy! ^_^

Dedicated to: All my wonderful fans and reviewers, and especially to Kirstian, my awesome imouto-chan who never stops supporting the junk I churn out ^_^

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**One Day at a Time**: Chapter 5

            She lay there silently.  Most of the times, she would just look out of the window, blindly staring, seeing nothing in front of her.  In her mind, the drums of defeat beat their song in tribute to her pathetic downfall at the hands of Yuusuke.  She had lost, and deep within her blood, the demon laughed scornfully at her attempts to defeat Yuusuke in her ningen form.  

                 _I warned you, but you wouldn't listen…  _

            Usagi wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.  Her body cried for sleep, and her eyes were bloodshot with fatigue.  How long had it been since she last slept? More than three weeks, she thought grimly, by sustaining herself on that damned drug.  She hated the chemical dependence but until she could figure out a solution, she had no other choice.  She hated those white pills with a passion, and how the combination of chemicals and neurotransmitters being absorbed into her blood would allow her to stay awake just for 24 hours more.  

            Though the effects had long since worn off, Usagi found her brain too wired to need the stimulant.  From experience, she knew that the weariness would creep upon her without warning, and she needed her dosage soon.  But she was unable to leave the prison that they had locked her up in.  She stared at her black boots longingly, and with surprising strength, she pushed herself to a sitting position before swinging her legs off the bed.  She tried to stand upon them, but found them as wobbly as Jello.  Grabbing onto the IV stand for support, she slowly made her way over to the boots and dropped to her knees as she frantically searched for the pills that would keep the demons at bay.  Growling in frustration, she slammed her boot to the ground before noticing another set of boots standing near her.

                 "Looking for this perhaps?" Hiei asked smoothly with an edge to his voice as he dangled a set of pills in front of her face.  

            She scrambled to her feet, and before she could grab the bottle away from him he had already tossed them out the window.   

                 "Nooooo!!!!" She shrieked, watching the bottle as it vanished from sight.  Whirling around, she glared at him angrily though her world went topsy-turvy for a second with her quick motions.  "What the hell did you do that for?"

                 "I know you use it to keep yourself awake," he answered.  "And the secrets that you keep from our group grow more dangerous by the moment."  

                 "If you recall, I never asked for any of you to come along with me." She almost snarled out, furious at her privacy being violated.  

                 "Why do you need those pills?" He asked once again, his voice like steel.  "Answer me.  Why is it so important that you stay awake?" 

                 "Why should I tell you anything? It's my business, and as long as it doesn't affect anyone else or my performance, it doesn't matter."

                 "But it damn well nearly did.  Look at what happened to you.  You can barely stand up on your own, and you almost wound up dead.  And you could've gotten the others killed as well."  

                 "It doesn't affect my performance damnit.  I made sure of that.  You think I want to take those stupid pills???? You think I'd do it if I had a choice?"  

                 "Why, then Usagi? Why?" 

            She held on to her silence stubbornly while staring out the window.  Hiei, frustrated beyond belief, grabbed her by the shoulders.  "Look at me! Why the hell do you need those pills?" He took a hold of her chin and tilted her face so that they were almost at eye-level.  "Now tell me the…" His anger fled his body abruptly as what he saw in those bottomless deep blue eyes tugged at his soul.  They were huge, brimming with tears and resignation.  

            Her voice was so soft that he almost missed what she said next.  "So he can't get me…"  

                 "So **who can't get you?" He asked equally softly.  **

            She was so tired, tired of carrying her heavy burden alone.  No one else had ever known the truth.  Why had she chosen the fire demon to tell her story? Because he had kept his promise to her, just like he said he would.  Trust… a simple word to convey an action that she had found herself incapable of.  Trust… she would give it the demon in front of her because he had proven himself to her.  He hadn't known the consequences nor the importance of her request, yet he had made sure she stayed awake.  

                 "The demon… so the demon can't get to me," she whispered.

            Hiei froze next to her as his suspicions came true.  Except he would've never guessed in a million years why it was so.

                 "Tell me…" There was an unknown emotion in his normally monotone voice, one that sealed her decision to tell him.  

                 "I've died the first time while saving a child from a demon's clutches.  I had been sent to become a detective for Koenma because I had died before I was supposed to.  I had rescued Koenma once so in return, he set me free, back to my world, with no ties to my previous job.  The second time I died was just three weeks ago, while I was trying to capture a particularly nasty demon.  For some reason, unlike the first time, I somehow avoided going through the whole process again, and it was only until last week that I discovered why.  I'm not purely human anymore…" 

                 "I know…" 

            Her eyes flew towards him in shock.  "How did you?"

                 "Dr. Mizuno told me."

                 "I… oh god… it lives and it breathes in me.  It exists in my blood, and it's only through sheer willpower that I manage to keep the demon at bay.  It wants to take over my soul, and regain control of what it lost so many years ago.  It wants the makai back in its hands."  

            The story she was telling had an eerily familiar ring to it, and Hiei hoped it wouldn't happen all over again.

                 "This is why I have to find Yuusuke."  She said with determination.  

                 "Why?"

                 "He is my brother.  My twin to be exact."  

            The stunned silence that greeted her was not unexpected, though the slew of curses that Hiei spat out afterwards did cause her to cringe slightly.  

                 "How did you find out?" 

                 "My mother… she told me once she wasn't my birth mother when I was a child.  After she… died, I went through her diary and found out the truth.  She had written about meeting this woman in the park, who could not handle the burden of two babies.  My mother was kind, and could not have children of her own.  She told me when she first set eyes on me, an instant bond had been forged, and she loved me right away."

                 "Why didn't you go to your birth mother once you found out the truth?" 

                 "I… I had other things to cope with," she replied as her eyes darkened.  

                 "More important things than finding your real parents and your brother?" 

                 "She chose to give ME up.  She chose to keep her son, my brother.  Why the hell should I go look for her?"  

                 "If I knew I had a sibling out there, I would do everything in my power to be with them."

                 "I was seven when I lost the only mother that mattered to me.  She DIED in front of me.  I stood there and watched her get ripped into shreds by a demon.  I heard her screams, saw the blood drip from her lifeless body, and the glazed eyes that would never see again.  Do you know what that's like? Do you????" She shrieked at him, hating him at that very moment for dragging up memories she did not want to remember.  

                 "And what happened to you?" He asked, knowing full well what had happened next.

                 "I saw her in front of me, bleeding, and the demon dangling her like a rag doll."  Her voice had become almost child-like in nature, as her eyes took on a faraway look and began sobbing uncontrollably.  "I begged it to stop hurting Mommy, but it just laughed… the bad thing just laughed at me… and it wouldn't stop.  Mommy had stopped screaming, and I knew she wasn't coming back for me.  She was going to leave me alone.  It threw Mommy's body against me, and I fell down.  Her blood… it dripped all over my party dress.  And I got so angry.  I hated that thing that just killed my Mommy.  So I grabbed a stick and jumped at him.  And I stuck the stick right through his chest.  And I watched it die in front of me.  Mommy was never coming back again.  She wouldn't sing me songs to sleep… or hold me when I was scared.  She would never have that special smile for me when she told me how much she loved me, and how special I was.  I would never smell that scent of her perfume, or eat the chocolate chip cookies she baked so well.  She was gone, just like that.  Because of some demon."  

            Hiei grabbed her by her shoulders once again, and shook her hard.  She was losing control.  He believed he understood why she took the pills now.  It had always been about control.  She refused to give into the demon and she was going to fight it for as long as she could.  She blinked owlishly at him before regaining her senses.  Her face took on a cold expression as she continued.  

                 "It had destroyed my life that day, and I swore to God that this would never happen to anyone else again.  After I buried my mother, I began training under a bounty hunter who I had harassed until he had agreed to help me.  Now that I've died twice, the demon is now a part of me, and I loathe it with every fiber of my being… and I would rather kill myself than let it take over.  Since that hasn't happened yet, I must find Yuusuke and stop him."  Laughing cynically, she spoke again.  "The demon knows that I can't defeat Yuusuke in my current state.  It knows that I need to become my demon self before I even stand a chance."

            The strength that emanated from her was mind-boggling.  And even though she didn't say it out loud, Hiei instinctively knew that she hated the weaknesses that she had, and the dependencies she had on those stupid pills.  She had only taken them because that was the only way she could stay awake, and remain in control.  "What will you do when you find him?"

                 "I…" She faltered slightly, and the barest hint of emotion showed up in her eyes.  "I've never had a brother in my life, a sibling… someone who understands everything I'm going through.  But I cannot allow him to continue destroying lives the way he has!"  

                 "The way yours was?" Hiei asked softly with the most curious look on his face.  The look of empathy in his eyes almost knocked her off her feet.  He seemed to understand her need to find Yuusuke, and the need to belong to someone.  From the moment she had lost her mother, she had been alone in this world, and her mission to stop demons from murdering humans had been her sole reason for existing for so long.  Far too little gave her joy, and it did not fail to strike her as ironic that the one thing she sought to kill was the one thing that saved her.  Funny, she never did think of Hiei for one moment as a demon, even though she knew differently.  

            Breaking away from his gaze, she stared outside at the brightness and sunshine and the birds that chirped so merrily.  "Hai, but I will stop him.  Even if it costs me my life I'll stop him."

            Shades of determination were highlighted on her face, and Hiei didn't doubt her words for a second.  _I hope it never comes to that…_

**********

Author's Blurb: Holy Hiei OOC O.O


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